Tech Tips 150-141

Troubleshooting driveability symptoms based solely on a description provided by the vehicle owner can be a real challenge for the technician. A road test with the customer is the preferred method of obtaining the crucial information necessary to make an accurate...

Are you recommending the proper lubrication service interval to your customers? Be aware that there is more to making the service recommendation than monitoring the miles driven between lube services. Technological advancements in engine design...

Filter Solutions for Some Challenging ConditionsTech Tip #148

Complaints of leakage following a fuel filter installation are not uncommon with the Duramax applications.The vehicles affected include GM's Duramax turbocharged diesel applications produced from 2001–2009. Part of the problem is the accessibility of the filter...

Diagnosing electrical problems can be challenging, even for the most experienced technician. Unfortunately, few electrical problems are hard failures and instead fit the challenging category of intermittent failures. Intermittent problems may be affected by heat, cold, or vibration...

Simple Solutions for Some Perplexing Brake ProblemsTech Tip #146

While installing a new set of tires on a 2005 Nissan Maxima, a safety inspection was performed as a courtesy to the customer. The technician recommended that the disc pads should be replaced and the calipers were keeping fluid around the piston seals. Days later...

Diagnosing brake related complaints can be a challenge. A well trained brake technician can follow a methodical diagnostic procedure and still be faced with the same annoying brake complaint. Sometimes the technician will resolve a problem temporarily...

Engines equipped with Variable Valve Timing have special lubrication and maintenance requirements. Neglecting the vehicle manufacturer's service recommendations can result in major engine performance deficiencies. Imagine changing the oil and filter on...

Lube Service Solutions: It May Require a Factory FixTech Tip #143

Imagine changing the oil and filter on a 2006 Nissan Maxima, and a few days later the customer encounters droplets of oil on the carport. The customer assumes the problem is a leaking oil filter and they return the vehicle to you for an inspection. Hurriedly...

Eliminating Belt Noice: Check for Factory Solutions!Tech Tip #142

Nothing can be more frustrating to the customer than a high-pitched belt squeal or an annoying chirping sound coming from the accessory drive belt or pulleys. The first suspect is almost always the belt, and it is often replaced numerous times in a futile effort to eliminate the noise.

When you perform maintenance or service a customer's vehicle, are you inspecting the throttle body for contamination and recommending a clean-up when needed? If you are like the majority, you are not doing that. Most technicians wait until the customer complains about...